Louis Rees-Zammit's potentially career-defining NFL move explained
In some welcoming news to Welsh sports fans, the Jacksonville Jaguars have announced the re-signing of former Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit to their active roster after Zammit spent last season as part of the Jaguar’s practice squad.
Zammit made the switch from his rugby career with Wales and Gloucester to pursue his dream in the NFL joining the league International Player Pathway program in early 2024. Zammit secured a spot with the Kansas City Chiefs for their 2024 pre-season training camp.
Life with the Chiefs didn’t work out for the Welshmen so in August 2024 he made the switch to the Jacksonville Jaguars where he would spend the 2024/2025 season on their practice squad.
What does this mean for Zammit’s future?
The NFL limits squad sizes to 53 players on a team's roster which means teams must cut down their initial 90-player pre-season squads before the start of the regular season.
For Rees-Zammit he will be included in the initial 90-player squad and must fight his way onto the Jaguars’ roster for this season which kicks off in September.
The Jaguars clearly see something in Zammit as his contract expired in January but they still chose to resign him as a free agent so a spot on their 53-man roster could be more open this time around for Zammit.
No rugby return on the cards
Speaking to BBC Sport Wales Zammit admitted the thought of returning to Welsh rugby never even came into the picture when his contract with the Jaguars initially expired.
"I've never thought about going back to rugby, It hasn't been in my head that I'm not going to do this. I've always wanted this. The second it [returning to rugby] creeps into your head you start doubting yourself and that's not going to happen with me." Zammit said in an interview with BBC Sport Wales.
The Welshman left the rugby world as one of Wales’ hottest prospects in terms of their long-term future and many thought a return to rugby could be an option if his NFL dream never came to fruition.
33-year-old winger Christian Wade followed the same route as Zammit and signed to the NFL from rugby and at the time was a pioneer in the move. He spent three years in the States with the Buffalo Bills before returning to rugby where he still plays today.
So Zammit seems tied down for the near future and a solid season could kickstart his NFL career, but don’t rule him out to follow in Wade’s footsteps if his newest move doesn’t go to plan.